Remote creation of a playback queue for an event

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11734494-B2
Application number	US-202117528808-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 17, 2021
Priority date	Feb 5, 2014
Publication date	Aug 22, 2023
Grant date	Aug 22, 2023

Abstract

Example embodiments involve remote creation of a playback queue for an event. An example implementation involves a computing device receiving, via a control interface, input data representing a request to create a playlist for an event at a particular future time and date and a designation of multiple invitees to the event and sending, via a network interface to a cloud computing system, instructions representing the request. The instructions cause the cloud server(s) to send, to multiple second mobile devices corresponding to the multiple invitees, one or more respective invitations to the event. Each invitation indicates: (i) a future time and date for the event and (ii) a link to a web interface including user interface controls to add audio tracks to the playlist for the event. During the event, the computing device causes the playlist to be queued in a queue of a media playback system for playback.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computing system comprising:
a communication interface configured to facilitate communication via at least one data network;
at least one processor; and
at least one tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the computing system is configured to:
after receipt, via the communications interface, of data representing a request to create a playback queue, create the playback queue in data storage, wherein the request and the playback queue are associated with a first account of a streaming audio service, wherein the first account of the streaming audio service is associated with a first user device;
after receipt, via the communication interface, of data representing a request to share the playback queue, generate a link to the playback queue, wherein the link is transmitted to one or more second user devices;
after receipt, via the communication interface, of data indicating that the link has been accessed on a respective second user device, cause transmission of one or more identifiers associated with the playback queue for display on the respective second user device, wherein the respective second user device is associated with a second account of the streaming audio service, wherein the second account of the streaming audio service is associated with a respective user;
receive, via the communications interface, a set of input data from the respective second user device, the set of input data indicating one or more respective audio tracks selected by the respective user on the second respective user device, wherein the second user device provides the respective user with access, via a web interface or an application interface, to user interface controls to add audio tracks from a media library of the streaming audio service to the playback queue;
add the one or more respective audio tracks selected via the web interface or the application interface to the playback queue;
associate a graphical indication with the one or more respective audio tracks added to the playback queue, the graphical indication indicating the respective user that added the one or more respective audio tracks to the playback queue, wherein the one or more identifiers associated with the playback queue and the graphical indication are displayable on the first user device and the respective second user device; and
wherein the playback queue is configured to be played back on one or more playback devices, wherein, during a playback of the playback queue, a given playback device of the one or more playback devices streams audio tracks in the playback queue from one or more servers of the streaming audio service.

2. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the given playback device of the one or more playback devices comprises the first user device.

3. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the given playback device of the one or more playback devices comprises the respective second user device.

4. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium further comprises program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the computing system is configured to transmit the link to the one or more second user devices.

5. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the link is transmitted to the one or more second user devices via at least one of an email, text message, or social media communication.

6. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the link is transmitted to the one or more second user devices in an invitation to an event.

7. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium further comprises program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the computing system is configured to:
receive, via the communications interface, a second set of input data from the respective second user device, the second set of input data indicating one or more respective audio tracks selected by the respective user on the second respective user device to be removed from the playback queue, wherein the second user device provides the respective user with access, via the web interface or the application interface, to user interface controls to remove audio tracks from the playback queue; and
remove the one or more respective audio tracks selected via the web interface or the application interface from the playback queue.

8. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the first user device is a mobile device, wherein the respective second user device is a mobile device.

9. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium further comprises program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the computing system is configured to provide the playback queue to the given playback device for playback of the playback queue.

10. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one tangible, non-transitory computer readable medium further comprises program instructions that are executable by the at least one processor such that the computing system is configured to:
after receipt, via the communication interface, of data representing a request from the respective second user device to add the playback queue for playback on the respective second user device, add the playback queue for playback on the respective second user device.

11. Tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media comprising program instructions that are executable by one or more processors such that a computing device is configured to perform functions comprising:
after receipt, via a communications interface, of data representing a request to create a playback queue, creating the playback queue in data storage, wherein the request and the playback queue are associated with a first account of a streaming audio service, wherein the first account of the streaming audio service is associated with a first user device;
after receipt, via the communication interface, of data representing a request to share the playback queue, generating a link to the playback queue, wherein the link is transmitted to one or more second user devices;
after receipt, via the communication interface, of data indicating that the link has been accessed on a respective second user device, causing transmission of one or more identifiers associated with the playback queue for display on the respective second user device, wherein the respective second user device is associated with a second account of the streaming audio service, wherein the second account of the streaming audio service is associated with a respective user;
receiving, via the communications interface, a set of input data from the respective second user device, the set of input data indicating one or more respective audio tracks selected by the respective user on the second respective user device, wherein the second user device provides the respective user with access, via a web interface or an application interface, to user interface controls to add audio tracks from a media library of the streaming audio service to the playback queue;
adding the one or more respective audio tracks selected via the web interface or the application interface to the playback queue;
associating a graphical indication with the one or more respective audio tracks added to the playback queue, the graphical indication indicating the respective user that added the one or more respective audio tracks to the playback queue, wherein the one or more identifiers associated with the p

Assignees

• Sonos Inc

Inventors

• Munoz Jaime
• Garn Jonathan D
• Lemmon Michael
• Taylor Dave

Classifications

• G06F40/134 Primary

  Hyperlinking · CPC title

• G06F16/639

  using playlists · CPC title

• G06F40/169

  Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes · CPC title

• H04N21/2668

  Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles {(information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063)} · CPC title

• H04N21/26258 Primary

  for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list (retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40) · CPC title